Sunday, June 15, 2014

Week 1

¡Hola Parents!

After a couple of plane rides and a long bus ride the instructors and
students all made it safely to what will be their home away from home for the
next 6 weeks in Ciudad Real, Spain! It is hard to believe all that has happened
in the past week, but we have all had a blast thus far. We arrived to Ciudad
Real on Tuesday afternoon to be greeted by the warm welcoming arms of the
students’ host families as well as the even warmer climate! The sun has been
beating down strong all week with temperatures in the 90s. However on
Wednesday, we did get some showers which made for a bit cooler day. Most nights
have been very pleasant with temperatures in the low 70s. Ciudad Real is a
fabulous city, not too big, not too small, welcoming faces to greet you, filled
with restaurants serving delicious Spanish traditional plates and most
importantly, there are heladerías (icecream shops, which many students have
chosen as their preferred hang out spot) on almost every corner. All in all, a
perfect city in which the students can live life like a Spaniard!

A view of Madrid from the skies...just about to land at the Barajas
Airport

Bags claimed, and we're ready to begin our adventure in Spain!

One more, just for fun..

After arriving in Ciudad Real, students departed from the bus station
with their host family to get settled in. Some students took walking tours with
their families around the city through various plazas and parks. A few students
elected to get over the jet lag by staying up all day whereas others took their
first “siesta” (a time in which families retire to their homes during the
hottest hours of the day to eat and rest, around 2-5 p.m. before returning to
their jobs in the evening between 5-9 p.m.).

On Wednesday morning, host families accompanied students the
Colegio Salesiano Hermano Gárate, the school in which classes will be held
all summer. Happy faces lit up the classroom as students could not stop talking
about how much they love their host families and how excited they are to be in
Spain. Students spent the morning taking the first section of a standardized
test, whose counter part at the summer´s end will measure individual student
progress.

Giddy faces as the exam has finally ended!

After the exam, students ate their first lunch at the Colegio where we
all ate rice, chicken, salad, and bread. Many students even tried the gazpacho,
a traditional Spanish soup served cold and while recipe details can vary, it
usually contains olive oil, vinegar and raw cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions
and garlic. Others students are still training their taste buds to like it :).
For dessert, students enjoyed large fresh pieces of scrumptious watermelon.
After lunch, students returned to their classroom where we did various
activities such as introductions and discussions of each student's
program goals, the Honor Code, host family life, a bit of Spanish culture, and
details about upcoming coursework. Students then worked in groups to explain
aspects of the Honor Code to the class, and finally the support groups convened
to give students a chance to ask any more questions about adjusting to life in
Spain, classes, the Spanish language, etc.

Minds at work in the classroom and nothing but Spanish coming out of the
mouths!

After group work ended,
students had free time for a couple hours before the final event of the day,
where the families, students and instructors met in the Salón de
Actos, or a large auditorium to review the Honor Code, host family
responsibilities, purchasing and activating the students’ local cellular phones,
etc.The Salón de Actors will later be
the location of the summer farewell performance, in which students will exhibit
their talents as a thank you to their host families and a fun way to wrap up the
entire program.

A Wednesday evening break with host families

Thursday morning, students had Gymkana for 2.5
hours, which is a scavenger hunt competition for places, objects and people in
the city. Instead of gathering items however, students took pictures of the
certain places, objects or people they were able to locate. There were 25 items
on the list that students had to locate. Students were divided into their
support groups which served as teams for the hunt. Scores were very close, two groups
tied at 17, one group at 18, and Moses’s group was able to locate 19 of the
items! Each student in this victorious group received a “Kinder Sorpresa” as a
prize, which is a chocolate egg with a small toy inside.

One team paused from their dedicated search to take
a group photo with their support group leader, Rosa, when the instructors spotted them in the city.

After Gymkana, students had a fun-filled afternoon
of sports on the court right outside of the Colegio cafeteria. For a couple hours,
students played soccer, volleyball and frisbee. It was very hot, but all
students stayed well hydrated and were covered in sunblock so as to beat the
heat, which they did very well.

Futbolistas…

Soccer pros pose for
a quick pic.

Gotta include the
little ones in the game too!

Resting in the shade!

Gettin’ a little
volley goin’…

Taking a break…

Friday we embarked
upon our first journey outside of Ciudad Real,visiting the historic, gorgeous, and hilly city of Toledo. Early Friday
morning, our bus departed from Ciudad Real at 8am, and an hour and a half
later, we arrived at our first stop: a vantage point at the Toledo's
apex, overlooking the Tajo river and all the lands we were about to
explore.

From there, the bus
dropped us off outside of the city, and we crossed the San Martin bridge

After crossing the
bridge, we headed to the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes.
Built in 1476, this Franciscan monastery represents a mix of gothic
and mudejar architecture. It is perhaps best known for its beautiful cloister.

Snack break and some
role playing :)

From the monastery, we made a trip to the Sinagoga
del Tránsito, also known as the Sephardic Museum. Sephardic Jews
are those descendants of the Jews expulsed from Spain in 1492 by the Reyes
Católicos (Fernando and Isabel). After the synagogue, we headed to the Museo
del Ejército, or the Armed Forces Museum.Here we are on our way, walking through the dynamic and colorful streets
of Toledo

At the Museo del
Ejército, students were able to learn about different swords, rifles, and
armor, as well as see vestiges of the old Alcázar, or an old fortress that
dates back in part to the Roman empire. Here we are in front of the
Alcázar.

After visiting the Museo del Ejército, students had
a lunch break and time to shop for souvenirs. Afterwards,we headed to one of the most breathtaking
locations in the city, the Toledo Cathedral. Here is a view from inside.

After our last stop
at the Iglesia de Santo Tomé, wemade
our final trek to the bus waiting to take usback to Ciudad Real

Students
endured the long walks up and down many hills as well as the heat to be able to
take advantage of the amazing site seeing we were able to do of Toledo.
Such troopers! ¡Adiós Toledo!

We arrived back in Ciudad Read around 7pm, with
tired bodies but enriched minds! Since then, students have enjoyed time with
host families. This week we look forward to students beginning their academic
classes as well as their theater classes along with a visit to the local
library of Ciudad Real as well as optional trips to the movies and a guided
tour of Ciudad Real. Until next weekend!